Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-03-17
SHIRLEY CARST0NE.
By ELIZA ARcHARD.
IcOpyrishted by tho American Press AssOciatiOn.l
CHAPTER V.
THE FIRE.

n
were nowhere in the room. The nearing flame
sucked his breath and scorched his hair. He
had barely time to save himself by the win
dow through which Myra had vanished like
spirit.
Where was she nowl Was she perishing in
the flames with the childreni She was not on
the veranda. Fire and smoke poured from
all the windows and mounted to the roof. They
drove him from the veranda. He sprang
down the iron supports to the ground. he
ran around the burning building crying for
help. The cook and the coachman fitted
past him. These were all tho persons in the
house at the time, except his wife and chill
dren. The crowd came pouring in from the
street, and in another moment the grounds
were full of people. Tho house was q mass
of flame. Heavens! were his boys in therei
He fancied no heard q cry. He dnrted toward
the fire like an insane person. Strong men
caught him by the wrists and held him back.
In scarcely more time than it takes to read
this the fire had done its work. Only the
hare outer walls of the house were left. The
inner walls had fallen in What had they
buried under their direful ruinsl One banded
Philip some clothing. He had forgotten he
had only his night clothes on.
It was pitiful thing SO see him, crying for
his children, calling them by their names,
searching for them under the trees, peerlng
into corners of the outbuildings, If haply
thew might not be hidden there. All that
night he went on crazier than hisinsane WIFE,
Toward morning he remembered that hc was
n man. He collected himself. -...
Messengers, descriptions of the lost children
were sent in every direction. There were
days. weeks Of heartache for the stricken IA
ther, but no tdings of his darlings came.
Where was his wife2 1t was the conclu-
sion, at first thought, that she had been burned
to death. and buried under the ruins. In his
agony that night Philip had not given much
thought to her. But nextmorning message
came from Myra's mother. His wife was at
her house, and would he, her husband, take
her away at once, and provide for her! She
had fed there in the night, from the fire.
Madam did not feel safe to have her in the
house.
Philip had no home for her now There
remained only one place. The poor, de-
mented creature went to lunatic asylum.
The origin of the fire was matter OF mys-
terry. Nothing certain could be found out
But the day after it happened the coachman
came to Philip with the air of one who had
something to communicate.
at don't look well in a man to be telling
tales on u woman, Mr. Dumoray," he said
GBut Mary, who tended on Mrs. Dumoray,
left her last night and went to ball.
saw her at midnight. was out myself, and
don't deny it, and didn't como home till .
o'clock. saw bright light in the library
where the piles of newspapers are thought
it was you up reading, and didn't look in.
Iwent by easylike, for l didn't want you to
know was out SO late l put off my shoes
and slipped around to the back stairs saw
Mrs. Dumoray going along the hall toward
your room, with q night lamp in her hand.
There was nobody to watch her, and she
slipped out, and think it was her set the
house afre."
Philip thoughtso too, remembering what he
had seen. But tho boys, his children? Had
she carried them in their sleep into her own
room, or into the library, before she LII the
fire? It was an awful thought.
The boys were at first given up to have
perished in the burning building. But Mr..
Dumoray had yet to learn the depth OF
deyiltry and cunning Of which insane hate Is
capable New troubles awaited him. lie had
mono to whom he could turn for help. His
father and mother were now both dead. They
had never been the same to him after his
marriage. 1t had caused them displeasure
and disappointment they were never quite
able to overcome He took lodgings near the
ruins of his home, resolved to penetrate the
mystery of the disappearance of his boys.
He had had the debris of the building care
fully dug out and examined. A council OF
1nI ~
searched the burned remains. No trace of
bone or of flesh could be found. After laying
their heads together they rendered an opinion
of a wisdom and profundity such as only
medical and chemical experts can give.
The law has waxen nose, which the law
YER can turn to the right or left as he pleases,
saws the German proverb. So has medicine.
The verdict OF the learned ones was on this
wise:
"The undersigned have to report that they
have carefully examined different portions Of
the ashes and embers taken from the ruins of
Mr.. Philip Dumorays house. They have
subjected the same to rigid analysis. In their
Judgment traces have been found Of sub
stance which may be construed to be the
ashes of human remains. At the same time
they deem it necessary to state that similar
ash is sometimes the residuum from the con-
sumption by fire of other organic compounds.
"JAMES BENSON, M. D.,
''H. r. ToMPKINs, NJ. D.,
~. L. BOYD, Pharmacist"
Here was wisdom.
Philip Dumoray was just where he was be-
fore. What should he do next? He sought
cvelv possible source of information. He
examined the newspapers with fear and hope
every morning, only to be overcome with
the same dull, dead despair. One morning.
for his comfort and encouragement, this met
his eye: E&
"Readers of Tho Daily News will remember
the mysterious fire which destroyed Mr.
Philip Dumoray's house on Linden street q
few weeks ago. At the time there were many
conjectures as to its origin, but none that
seemed to offer solution Of the mystery
Among the rInors current is the unpleasant
one that Mr.. Dumoray set fire to his own
house. Tho gentleman's wife is out Of her
mind and is now IN the Iron Gate asylum
The unfortunate Mrs. Dumoray was before
her marriage a young lady Of remarkable
beauty and accomplishments, and, it is said,
was crazed by domestic unhappiness She
has still some sane moments, however. Dur
ing some of these flashes Of reason she has let
fall rambling remarks which beyond doubt
point to her husband as the author of the
FIRE. Y Her disostl brainclings to the fixed
idea that lie reiAoved The twin boys and then
fired the house This opinion was said to be
Shared by Mrs Dumoray's mother, with
Az